Leading Appeals:World-class fishing for trophy largemouth
and striped bass, walleye, slab crappies and whopper trout
in the White River and nearby Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes.
Turkey, squirrels and whitetails - even timber ducks and black
bear - occupy the Ozark National Forest.

Population: 12,215

Median Home Price: $92,900

Amenities:Excellent hospitals and schools, low crime rate,
vibrant retail economy and cohesive community make this a
great place to raise children or retire.

Bottom Line:Few towns have this diversity of fishing or
such close proximity to boat ramps and trailheads.

The first time Henry Seay fished northern Arkansas' White
River Gorge he knew he'd buy a house nearby. That was seven
years ago. Today the retiree from Phoenix owns a fish camp,
Rim Shoals Resort, right on the bank of the trophy-trout
stream. Seay still fishes the White River twice a week and
adorns the walls of his business with evidence of his success,
including mounts of brown trout pushing 30 inches.

Trout fishing in north-central Arkansas rivals any Rocky
Mountain destination. The White, Buffalo, Little Red and
North Fork rivers boast hundreds of trout per mile thanks
to the coldwater habitat below the region's bottom-release
dams. Mineral content in the water fuels growth rates. The
Norfork River gave up a 38 1/2-pound brown trout two decades
ago and the constellation of fly shops in the area are decorated
with photos of 5- to 8-pound trout. Warmwater anglers have
a playground west of town on Bull Shoals Lake, where walleye,
bream, bass and crappie are caught in flooded timber and
off rocky points. Norfork Lake's striped and hybrid bass
reach 30 pounds of scrappy, reel-screaming action.